Ring guard having pivoted locking link



1967 R. A. MCLEES, JR 3,

RING GUARD HAVING PIVOTED LOCKING LINK Filed March 10, 1965 INVENTOR.

RAYMOND A.MCLEES,dR

ATTORNEY United States Patent Filed Mar. 10, 15965, Ser. No. 438,598 1 Claim. (Cl. 6315.6)

This invention relates to ring guards and more particularly to an improvement therein avoiding displacement of the guard member once the ring is in position upon the finger of the wearer.

Ring guards for varying the size of ring bands have become a common expedient for temporarily adjusting the size thereof, or preventing the turning of the ring upon the finger of the wearer. It has been found in practice, however, that with certain persons who have extremely large knuckles that the guard portion is bent inwardly toward the band when passing same over the knuckles of the finger. A ring guard thus having been bent loses its effectiveness. Ring guards often become bent after prolonged wearing so that the guard portion becomes displaced toward the ring band thus losing its effectiveness.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a ring guard having means for permanently avoiding displacement of the ring guard toward the ring band so that the ring guard retains its effectiveness after long periods of use.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a ring guard having a centrally located pivoted link which may be afiixed to the ring band in a position normal to the guard after the guard has been straightened after passing over the finger of a person having excessively large knuckles.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a ring guard which prevents slipping of the ring upon the finger, and which is capable of varying the size of the ring and retaining such varied size through long periods of use.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the fol-lowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation at an enlarged scale illustrating a ring guard constructed in accordance with the present invention positioned upon the circular ring band of a diamond ring just prior to afiixing the link portion of the present invention to permanently position the ring guard member.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation similar to FIGURE 1 with the link permanently positioned, and

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 in FIGURE 2.

A ring guard for a circular ring band is illustrated in the drawing and includes an elongated thin guard member A. Suitable means B for attaching the guard member adjacent each end thereof to the ring are provided. Such means B are spaced about the ring to include a substantial segment of the ring band therebetween. An elongated thin link member C is pivoted in the medial portion of the guard member and is of sutficient length to extend across to the ring band. Suitable means D are carried by the link at the free end thereof for attaching the link member to the band so that the link is positioned normal to the guard member to provide a permanent brace therefor. Thus the ring band carrying the guard member A which carries the pivoted unattached link C may be passed over the finger and then the guard member positioned and the link attached.

The usual type of circular ring band is illustrated at 10. The ring band of the type illustrated is fora diamond ring, and is shown to include a built up portion 10a adjacent the setting 11. The setting is illustrated as containing a stone such as a diamond 12. The ring band tapers inwardly in cross-section to form a smaller lower portion as illustrated at 10b. The ring guard A is fastened as by the fastening means B in an intermediate portion of the band 10. The segment of the ring band included by the guard member depends upon the reduction in the size of the ring desired for the particular wearer. The fastening means B may include looped portion 13 integral with the guard member A. Such looped member 13 may be closed as at 13a by the jeweler when the guard member is placed upon the ring band.

The guard portion A described above is preferably constructed of metal sufficiently rigid as not to become easily bent through use, but sufficiently flexible to permit being bent inwardly to permit the ring to pass over an enlarged knuckle. The guard member A has relatively thin end portions 14 adjacent the bands 13 while the intermediate portion of the guard A has considerable depth as at 15. A notched portion 16 is included in the medial portion of the guard member A for receiving the link C for pivotal movement out of the way as the guard C is bent inwardly toward the ring when passing over a knuckle. The link C has a loop 17 for engagement with the notched portion 16 of the guard member A. This connection preferably permits backward movement of the link C, as best illustrated in broken lines in FIGURE 3 immediately after the ring has been placed over an enlarged knuckle and prior to returning the guard A to proper position and fastening the link C as in FIGURE 2.

As is best illustrated in FIGURE 3, the fastening means D includes an open loop portion 18 which may be closed as at 19 after the ring carrying the guard member has been placed over the finger of the wearer. The open loop member 18 is displaced rearwardly as illustrated in FIG- URES l and 3, while the ring is being placed over the finger. Preparatory to closing the loop member 18 as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, it is necessary for the jeweler to cut off a part of the free end so that the open loop 18 may be closed as at 19. Thus, the ring guard member A is permanently positioned upon the ring so that its size will not vary as a result of being displaced through use and the ring guard will not slip upon the ring. The link C and associated parts make it possible to place the ring over the finger of a person having excessively large knuckles with the link swung to the side out of operating position, and then after the ring is in proper position on the finger the link may be swung into proper position normal to the ring guard and positioned as described above.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A ring guard for a circular ring band including, an elongated thin guard member, means attaching the guard member adjacent each end thereof to the ring, said means being spaced about the ring to include a substan- 3 4 tial segment of the ring band therebetween, an elongated References Cited thin link member pivotally secured to the guard member at the medial portion thereof being of sufficient length to ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS tend across to the ring band, and means carried by the link 2161492 6/1879 Wells at the free end thereof for attaching the link member to 5 538,477 4/1895 Bartlett 63-155 the band so that the link is adapted to be secured between 17419O8 12/1929 Beck 63 15-6 the band and guard members and to be positioned normal FOREIGN PATENTS to the guard member to provide a permanent brace therefor, whereby the ring band carrying the guard member 1191407 10/1959 France which carries the pivoted unattached link may be passed 10 TON O ECHSLE P a E over the finger and then the guard member posltioned AN 0 mm W x mgr and the link atta hed, S. NATTER, Assistant Examiner 

